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District Court

What is District Court?

The District Court is a trial court of limited jurisdiction. The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction over the following types of cases:

Civil suits involving $25,000 or less

Adult criminal misdemeanor offenses punishable by up to one year imprisonment

Civil infractions or traffic violations

Landlord-tenant disputes such as eviction proceedings

Small claims (civil suits involving $6,000 or less)

Land contract forfeitures

In addition to its jurisdiction to try adult criminal offenses punishable by up to one year imprisonment, the District Court is where all adult criminal proceedings begin regardless of the nature of the offense. In carrying out this function, the District Court has jurisdiction to:

Issue arrest and search warrants

Set bail and accept bond

Conduct misdemeanor and felony arraignments

Preside over preliminary examinations for felonies

Perform marriage ceremonies

District Court decisions can generally be appealed to the Circuit Court. A different appeal process applies to informal hearings involving traffic civil infractions.

Important Information

The 57th District Court is a weapons free court. Please do not bring any weapons to any court appearance or into the County Building. This applies even if you have a concealed weapons permit. You may be subject to a search for weapons.

If you need special accommodations for hearing, sight or disability, please notify the court so that accommodations can be made.